“He’s still pretty sore. We anticipate that it would be hard for him to play this week,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said.

McCarthy has proven to be a solid playmaker for the Titans since becoming a starter midway through his rookie year in 2011. He was impressive enough that his teammates voted him one of the team's captains this season.

If McCarthy can't go, the Titans will likely shift Will Witherspoon to middle linebacker, a move that could open up the weak side for rookie Zach Brown, a second-round pick.